Vehicle-top.



L. C. SHIPLEY.

VEHICLE TOP.

APPLICATION man maze, 1914.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

LEWIS C. SHIPLEY, SF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

Verizon-roe.

"Amy- Application area March 20, leis;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, LEWIS C. SHIPLEY, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVehide-Tops, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to vehicle tops and the objects of my invent-i611are, first, to provide a vehicle top that can be advantageously used inconnection with automobiles and easily and quickly collapsed or set upin position; second, to provide a vehicle top embodying novel bows andconnections that provide a rigid and durable structure, and third, toaccomplish the above results by a mechanical construction that presentsa neat appearance, fully protects the occupants of the vehicle withoutobstructing the View and permits of one person easily manipulating thetop when necessary.

"With theabove and other objects in view, the invention resides in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to behereinafter fully described and then claimed, and reference will now behad to the drawing, Wherein Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view ofthe vehicle topin a setm'p position; Fig.

2 is a similar View showing the vehicle top in a collapsed position; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view upon a smaller scale of amodified form of top in a set-up position; Fig. 4: is a side elevationof the same in a collapsed position, and Fig. 5 is a per:

spective View of a detached channel n1en1 1 oer.

A vehicle top in accordance with this invention comprises a front how 1having the ends thereof pivotally connected in the ordinary and wellknown manner to irons or supports 2, carried by the side of a vehicle'3, adjacent to the rear seat thereof. Pivotally connected to the fronthow 1, contiguous to the irons 2, is a rear how a disosed atsubstantially right angles to the rent how 1 when tins top is in a setupposition;

Pivotalljv connected to the rear side of the front heat 1, as atSpecification of Letters Patent.

bow 6, and the same pivotal -bow 13 at an inclination iary rear bow :20is is an auxiliary rear ?atentetl Apr. 2 3935.

Serial no. sas es.

means pivotally retains channel members 7 upon said auxiliary bow. Thechannel members 7 are of less length than the side arms of the auxiliarybows 6 and said members embrace the sidesof said bows at the lower endsthereof. The upper ends of said channel members are provided withoff-set pivots 8 for long members that extend through or rest in guiderests or the inner sides of the front how 1. The outer encs of the longmembers 9zare con nected by rule joints 11 or other pivotal means to anover-hanging how 12.

Pivotally connected to the inner sides of the long members 9,intermeciate the ends thereof, is an ausiliary over-hanging bow 13 andall of said bows cooperate in support ing a canopy or cover 14. The how13 is provided with pins or shoulders e0 thirteengage the long members 9and support the to said members. In Fig. 2, the vehicle top isillustrated as collapsed or folded and when in such position the top isheld by rests 15 carried by the sides of the vehicle. The bowspractically fold into parallelism without injuring the canopy orcover,'aml-tl1e manner in which the bows are connected permits of oneperson quickly collapsing or setting up the vehicle top.

In Figs. 3 and lof the drawing there is illustrated a modification ofthe invention comprising a front bow 16 having the ends thereofpivotally connected in the ordinary and well i 1?, carried by the sidesof a vehicle 18,.adjacent to the rear seat thereof. Pivotally connectedto the front bow 16, contiguous straps 10, carried by rlllOWIl manner toirons or supports to the irons 17, is a rear bow 19 and pivotallyconnected to said rear bow is an auxiliary" rear how 20, that can befolded against the rear bow 19 wien the front and rear bowsv arecollapsed, as shown in Fig.4. When the vehicle top is in a set-upposition, the bows 16 and 19 are disposed at substantially a right angleto one another and the auxil in a plane substantially parallel to thefront how 16. Pivotallyconnected to t it how 15, as at 23;, are short121 331 h ving the outer ends COHEN-2:45;; r *3: rule joint-s 23 orother pivotal means to the ends of a bracing how 24. The inner sides ofthe bracing how 24: are provided with rest guides or straps 26 andextending through or resting in said guides are long members 27, saidmembers having the rear ends thereof pivotally connected, as at 28, tothe front bow 16, above the pivotal connections 21 of the members 22.The forward ends of the long members 27 are connected by rule joints 2%)or other pivotal means to an over-hanging how 31, which, in a set-upposition, is supported-in substantially a horizontal plane. Theoverhanging bow 31 has-a rearwardly extending auxiliary bow '32 providedwith pins or shoulders 40 similar to the bow 13 and all of said bows areadapted to cobperate in supporting aeanopy or hood 32 over the vehiclebody. The forwardly extending bows can be easily and quickly collapsedand compactly arranged relatively to vthe bows 1 16 and 19, as shown inFig. 4, without cracks ing or injuring thecover or canopy. W'hencollapsed, the ordinary rests 34 maintain the folded top in the rear ofthe seat ofthe vehicle without obstructing the view or interfering withthe comforts of the occupants of the vehicle. When the top is in aset-up position, the bracing bow 24 cotiperates with the front bow 16 incorrectly positioning the over-hanging bow 31, and it is practicallyimpossible for the forwardly exteindilcig bows to become accidentallydisp ace I I In the preferred form of construction, the channel members7 facilitate the folding or collapsing of the to and it is onlynecessaryto break the rule Joints 11 and swing the over-hanging bow 12rearwardly. In performing this operation, the long members 9 shift inthe guide rest 10 without interfering with the auxiliary rear bow 6, asthe pivoted rear ends of the long members 9 can move forwardly throughthe medium of the channel members 7. It is thesechannel members same,besides the connection of the top or canopy 14 with the bow 13 wouldrender such movement practically impossible. It

1 is therefore essential that the rear ends of the long member 9 be freeto move independent of the rear auxiliary bow 6. It is also necessarythat the rear ends of the; long members 9 be slightly curved, as shownin Fig. l to insure a proper folding, and after the given sufficientimpetus it practically folds by giiiwity and thus permits of one personmanipulating theiS me.

All of the bows can be made oflight and durable tubing or other materialand finished to harmonize with the body of the .vehicle.

The preferred embodiments of my invention have been illustrated, but itis to be understood that the structural elements are susceptible to suchvariations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appendmembers pivotally connected to outer endsof said channel members'andmovably supportedby said front bow whereby pivoted ends of said longmembers can be moved toward said front bow independent of said rear bow,and an over-hanging bow pivotally connected to said long members.

2. A vehicle top comprising a front bow, an auxiliary rear bow pivotallyconnected to said front bow, channel members pivotally connected to saidfront bow and normally engaging said auxiliary rear bow,

long members connected to said channel members and movably supported bysaid front bow, and an over-hanging bow sup ported by said long members.

3. A vehicle top comprising a front bow,

guide rests carried thereby, long" members extending through said guiderests, an auxiliary rear bow, an over-hanging bow supported by saidlongmembers, and movable means supported by said front bow connecting saidlong members: and said front bow,

whereby the rear ends of said. lon memberscan be moved toward said frontbow independent of said auxiliary rear'bow.

l. A vehicle top comprising a front boW, guide rests carried thereby,members mov- I ably supported by said guide rests, channel memberspivotally connected to-said front bow and connecting said members andsaid front bow, an over-hanging bow supported y with said front bow insupporting said channel members when said top is extended.

5. A vehicle top comprising a front bow, guide restscarried thereby,long members supported by said guide rests, channel members connectingsaid long members and said front bow, an over-hanging bow supported bysaid long members, an auxiliary overhanging bow supported by said longmembers, and means cotiperating with said front said members, and meanscoiiperating' bow in supporting said channel members when said top isextended.

an auxiliary rear bow pivotally supported thereby, channel memberspivotally connected to said front bow and normally resting upon saidauxiliary rear how, long members Y 6. A vehicle top comprising a frontvhow,

connected to said channel members and mofably supported by said frontbow, an over-hanging bow pivotaily connected, to said long members, andan auxiliary over- 5 hanging bow pivotaliy connected to said longmembers.

LEWIS 0. SHIPLEY. Witnesses ANNA M. Donn, KANE H. BUTLER.

